There’s nothing like playoff hockey. This that applies to the American Hockey League as well as the NHL. Sure, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are a thrill. With the Second Round in full swing, it’s a great time to sit back and enjoy the action. Yet, for many hockey fans who have followed the
AHL all season, this is also the best time of the year because of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
The Calder Cup Playoffs only have eight teams remaining. Unlike previous seasons, this time, it’s, for the most part, a chalk bracket. The top seeds are still alive, and all of them have a legitimate chance of winning the championship when it’s all said and done. For those who are just checking into the Calder Cup Playoffs or follow only one team, here’s a rundown of what you need to know about each matchup.
Atlantic Division Final: Hershey Bears vs. Charlotte Checkers
● The Hershey Bears kept their quest for a three-peat alive with consecutive wins against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms to take the series in five games. They are the back-to-back alder Cup champs and finished the season with the best record in the Atlantic Division but needed to win Game 4 on the road and then take the deciding game in Hershey to advance. This is still a top team, although not quite as dominant as the past couple of years.
● Goaltender Hunter Shepard shut out Lehigh Valley in Game One of the Atlantic Division semifinal. The 29-year-old netminder enjoyed a phenomenal season in 2023-24. He looked mortal this year but came up big against the Phantoms with the season on the line.
● The Charlotte Checkers had a reverse-sweep scare in their series against the Providence Bruins. They took a 2-0 series lead but lost back-to-back games at home before winning Game 5 with a 5-2 win (they allowed only eight shots on the net in the game).
● Both teams love to forecheck and establish the offense from creating turnovers. Once locked in on the attack, it’s hard to retake the puck from either club. If there’s one key to the series for both teams, it’s about controlling possession and the offensive zone time, something both teams excel at doing.
North Divison Final: Laval Rocket vs. Rochester Americans
● This is the series many fans had circled for months, and there’s a good argument that this is the Calder Cup preview (the winner of this series will probably win it all).
● The Laval Rocket had the best record in the AHL this season, and they boast a star-studded lineup. They have a mix of veterans and elite young skaters including rookie Owen Beck, who scored 15 goals and 29 assists this season, and defenseman Logan Mailloux, who had 12 goals and 21 assists while adding a goal and an assist in the previous series against the Cleveland Monsters. The Rocket took it in four games.
● The Rochester Americans finished the season with the second-best record in the North Division but they were dominant in their series against the Syracuse Crunch, sweeping the three-game set. It’s given them a week off to prepare for the Rocket. On the flip side, sometimes that’s almost too much time off between games.The “Amerks” are another team with prospects on top of prospects, making many fans wonder why the NHL team can’t do much with them.
● This series features the two best goaltenders of the Calder Cup Playoffs so far. Devon Levi has a .978 save percentage (SV%) and a .67 goals-against average (GAA) while Jacob Fowler has a .953 SV% and a 1.00 GAA.
Central Division Final: Texas Stars vs. Milwaukee Admirals
● The Milwaukee Admirals have reverse sweeps in their DNA. At least it seems that way. The Admirals trailed, two games to zero, in their best-of-five series against the Rockford IceHogs.
● Milwaukee came back to win Game Three (6-2), Game Four (3-2), and Game Five in overtime (4-3). What’s crazy is that the same thing happened with the Admirals in the same round one year ago except they reverse-swept these very same Texas Stars!
● The Texas Stars didn’t have the same dramatics against the Grand Rapid Griffins, winning the series in a three-game sweep. That said, they trailed 4-1 in Game 3 only to score three unanswered goals to force overtime and then win it in double overtime.
● The Stars were the second-best team in the Central Division thanks to an offense that averaged 3.33 goals per game. The Admirals had the divisions best record thanks to a defense that allowed only 2.55 goals per game. So, something’s gotta give.
Pacific Division Final: Colorado Eagles vs. Abbotsford Canucks
● Remember when Arturs Silovs was in the net for the Vancouver Canucks in the second round in a second-game series against the Edmonton Oilers? Well, he’s now the started for their AHL affiliate and leading the Abbotsford Canucks on a playoff run. He saved 54 of the 55 shots faced in the final two games of the previous series to eliminate the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
● The Colorado Eagles were the best team in the Western Conference all season. Moreover, they had the best defenseman in the league lead the way. Jacob MacDonald scored 31 goals and added 24 assists. Now, the hope is he bounces back from a forgettable series against
the San Jose Barracuda, where he only had two assists and failed to find the back of the net.
● If you like offense, this might be the series for you! The Canucks averaged 3.34 goals per game while the Eagles average 3.47 this season.
In particular, Abbotsford left winger Sammy Blais is a skater to watch. He compiled 40 points this season and has eight in the Canucks’ playoff run; the most of any skater still in the playoffs.
Other Calder Cup Notes
Goaltending and how coaches manage the position will be a storyline to watch as the playoffs unfold. Only a few teams have that workhorse they can lean on for an entire playoff series (Laval and Rochester are the only two that stand out). For most teams, it will be about splitting
starts and finding a way to get the most out of a duo for an entire playoff run.
Speaking of managing rosters, coaching is another big factor in the playoffs. AHL coaches are always seen as potential candidates to join an NHL team, especially this time of year when the coaching carousel is in motion. For Todd Nelson of the Bears or Pascal Vincent with the Rocket,
an impressive showing will put them once again in the NHL coaching spotlight.
For now, these coaches have their eyes set on the playoffs and preparing for the tough matchups ahead. There’s a saying about how April showers bring May flowers. In the AHL, April is when fans shower their prospects with praise as many of them join the roster from the college or amatuer ranks and play a handful of games at the end of the season. May is when these prospects earn their flowers. This is when the game slows down and everyone is asked to play two-way hockey. The prospects who make an immediate AHL impact now have a good shot to be on an NHL roster come October.